The Mt. Diablo school board will likely appoint Nellie Meyer, deputy superintendent of the San Diego school district, as its new superintendent on Wednesday. In addition, the board expects to appoint three high school vice principals and to extend for three months the contract of Interim General Counsel Jayne Williams. If the board approves Meyer’s contract, she will take the helm of the district Sept. 23.

A final Environmental Impact Report for proposed Ygnacio Valley High field improvements, expected to return to the board on Wednesday for approval, is not on the agenda.

Here is the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the district office board room at 1936 Carlotta Drive in Concord:

“1.0 Call to Order
1.1 President will call the meeting to order Info
2.0 Announcements
2.1 In closed session, the Board will consider the items listed on the closed session agenda. Info
3.0 Public Comment
3.1 The public may address the Board concerning items that are scheduled for discussion during closed session only. These presentations are limited to three minutes each, or a total of thirty minutes for all speakers or the three minute limit may be shortened. Speakers are not allowed to yield their time. Info
4.0 Adjourn to Closed Session at 6:00 p.m.
4.1 Negotiations – The Board may discuss negotiations or provide direction to its representatives regarding represented employees, pursuant to EERA (Govt. Code Section 3549.1) Agency negotiators: Julie Braun Martin and Deborah Cooksey. Agencies: MDEA, CSEA, Local One M&O, Local One CST, MDSPA, and Supervisory. Action
4.2 Conference with Labor Negotiators pursuant to Govt. Code Section 54957.6 Designated District representatives: President Cheryl Hansen, Interim General Counsel Jayne Williams; Unrepresented employee: District Superintendent Action
4.3 Public Employee Appointment pursuant to Govt. Code Section 54957 (b) (1): District Superintendent Action
5.0 Closed Session Agenda

9.0 Consent Agenda Action
9.1 (Item #1) Items listed under Consent Agenda are considered routine and will be approved/adopted by a single motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items; however, any item may be removed from the consent agenda upon the request of any member of the Board and acted upon separately. Action
9.2 (Item #2) Recommended Action for Certificated Personnel Action
9.3 (Item #3) Request to increase Full Time Equivalent (FTE) for the 2013-2014 school year Action
9.4 (Item #4) Approval of Variable Term Waiver Request Action
9.5 (Item #5) Recommended Action for Classified Personnel Action
9.6 (Item #6) Classified Personnel: Request to Increase and Decrease Positions Action
9.7 (Item #7) Approve contract/purchase order with My Therapy Company for bilingual Speech and Language services at Meadow Homes Elementary for the 2013-14 School Year. Action
9.8 (Item #8) Renewal of Memorandum of Understanding between Seneca Center for Children & Families and Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) Action
9.9 (Item #9) Approval of master contract between Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) and Progressus Therapy Services to provide District-Wide Occupational/Physical Therapy Services for the 2013-2014 school year and 2012-2013 Extended School Year Program. Action
9.10 (Item #10) Increase purchase order with Non Public Agency Ed Support Services Action
9.11 (Item #11) Contract between Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) and Maxim Healthcare Services, Non Public Agency (NPA) for the 2013-2014 school year. Action
9.12 (Item #12) Alignment of Updated Editions/Copy Write Years of Currently Adopted Instructional Materials Action
9.13 (Item #13) Approve submission of the Cleveland Foundation grant to expand technology labs at El Dorado Middle School. Action
9.14 (Item #14) Approval of contracts with Exploring New Horizons (ENH) for Pleasant Hill Elementary School and Hidden Valley Elementary School Outdoor Ed Programs Action
9.15 (Item #15) Approve Contract with Marin County Office of Education (COE) Outdoor School of Walker Creek Ranch for Walnut Acres Elementary School Action

10.0 Consent Items Pulled for Discussion

11.0 Recognitions

12.0 Public Comment
12.1 The public may address the Board regarding any item within the jurisdiction of the Board of Education of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District that is not on this agenda. These presentation are limited to three minutes each, or a total of thirty minutes for all speakers, or the three minute limit may be shortened. If there are multiple speakers on any one subject, the public comment period may be moved to the end of the meeting. Speakers are not allowed to yield their time. Info

13.0 Communications

13.1 District Organizations – At regular Board meetings, a single spokesperson of each recognized district organization may make a brief presentation following the Consent Agenda. Items are limited to those which are informational. Info

111 Responses to “MDUSD expects to appoint superintendent, three vice principals on Wednesday”

@48, I can add that Cassin gave out NPS placements like candy to a few, and you can guess who the few were. M J-D had to clean up certain people’s messes. Someone should evaluate the files. What went on was wrong.

I have to say, knowing some of the special Ed department. Mildred needed to go. Dr mills is aweful. Carolyn Patton wants nothing to do with community unless you kiss the ground she walks on. NPS placements were being given away before Cassin. Cassin really cares about the kids he serves and has his hands tied to not place even if it is the right fit. The program specialists that QUIT last minute needed to leave. Is there a way of knowing who filed the above due process ? The district filed on children to force into the wrong placement because of the vindictive nature of the departed program specialists and dr mills.
Carolyn will be a huge disappointment to Benicia, I feel sorry for them.
I might add that the whole bus realignment was Carolyn’s pet project along with moving special Ed kids to different placements without an IEP or consent of the parents.

@52, you are right that NPS placements were given away before Cassin by Ken Ferro based on internal nepotism. However, I’ve seen Cassin continue Ferro’s nepotism and promote, encourage and predetermine NPS placements. I’ve seen him allow a district staff member bully parents and a student an IEP meeting and take no steps whatsoever to intervene, which was absolutely shameful. At a minimum he’s ineffective, at worst he is unethical, either way he puts himself first, and not the kids, in my experience. MJD-what can I say-he does the District’s bidding even when its wrong because he gets paid a lot for it.

The district’s list of contracted outside legal teams has rocketed to 10 firms (plus the three on staff)! All of them have contracts through 6/14. Interestingly, with the exception of Meyers Nave, we have seen all of their billing rates and, for most, Letters of Engagement. As far as I know, none of them have any “guarantee” that they will be engaged for any “minimum” amounts or number of cases. None are exclusive to us, and they simply have open contracts.

The recently added (7/1/13) Liability Certificate with one of our insurance carriers in particular, may have been on the advice of a Meyers Nave employee. Then that same insurance company may have “pushed” to have us use Meyers Nave for the Martin case.

Whether or not that is the case, the people need to know what the insurance policy says. Planning for Reserves, and personnel contracts being negotiated, hiring and spending have to be considered IN ADVANCE.

We do not want to end up having to use a huge chunk of our new unrestricted LCFF for legal expenses for the most expensive Legal Firm in California — who is, in effect, trying to serve and satisfy two masters!

Having the insurance co contract indicate that it will “pay to defend” does NOT necessarily mean that they WILL pay.

If, anywhere in the policy, it states: “except for intentional acts,” (and most liability certificates DO) we could go through all phases of a trial and at the moment of summary judgement or verdict, when/if the person is found guilty of “intentional acts,” the insurance co can simply say “Oops, you’re not covered for that.” And the taxpayers of the district are on the hook for the whole legal bill, settlement, restitution–whatever!

The people need to know what our board is doing and exactly what they have gotten us into.

Speaking of revenues, MDUSD will get more than $6.3 million to implement Common Core, with Eagle Peak Montessori Charter getting an additional $38,400 and Clayton Valley Charter getting an additional $371,600.
Interestingly, when I interviewed incoming Superintendent Nellie Meyer, she said that she oversaw charter schools in the San Diego district and they actually collaborated on Professional Development. Could that happen in MDUSD with CVCHS? She’s open to it and said she’d like to visit CVCHS to see what kinds of new programs they’ve implemented there. Previously, the CVCHS administration has said it would welcome visits and collaborative efforts from MDUSD. Now that there’s a superintendent coming in who’s not anti-charter, it will be interesting to see if the wounds from the charter conversion can begin to heal.

Yeah, what about Saturday school so opposed by Rose Lock ? Presumably Dr. Nellie’s resignation will be accepted tonight at the SDUSD Board Meeting — will she become “unofficially involved” in MDUSD before Sept 23 ?

Meyer said she wanted to find out more about the lighting project. She was very familiar with the San Diego case.

While MDUSD has seen upheaval in its superintendent position, WCCUSD’s Superintendent has consistently been sending out messages to his community each month since 2011: http://www.wccusd.net/page/521. In fact, his September message has been virtually the same for the past three years, emphasizing three “crucial” messages: “This is important. You can do it. I won’t give up on you.”

These messages are crucial in any district. It will be interesting to see if Meyer will begin communicating regularly with the district and community.

@58 — Ms. Meyer’s previous district, San Diego Unified, has had a MUCH more productive relationship with charter schools than MDUSD has had, with its history of stonewalling and undermining charters at almost every opportunity. As a result, SDUSD offers far more public school choices than MDUSD (with its single token charter):http://www.sandi.net/Page/2395

The High Tech High Charter is one of the most innovative and imitated high schools in the country, and one of the most impressive high schools — public or private — that I have ever visited. Yes, it has benefited from unusual outside support, but those companies and foundations have supported that school, in part, BECAUSE the school and the district have cultivated such a healthy relationship over the years. There are many other charter success stories in SDUSD — schools I would be delighted to have my children attend. I hope Ms. Meyer’s leadership can offer the Dent Center charter-phobes an enlightened perspective on what increased school choice can do for student achievement — and for public SUPPORT for public education as a whole.

I told Meyer that if she visited CVCHS I would want to have a photographer there and write about it. She said she didn’t see why that would even be newsworthy. Perhaps the wall between MDUSD and CVCHS can be dismantled under Meyer.

“Interim General Counsel recommended pulling the final draft to accommodate additional review by an attorney who specializes in the CEQA process. At this time, we anticipate requesting Board action on the final draft in September.”

@TH#67 Chuckle, chuckle. “Dr. Nellie, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL ! ” Dr. Nellie hasn’t yet run into the Eberhart/Whitmarsh education “wood-chipper” machine. This was seen last week on the Claycord thread about her — a very few posts under different names but common themes about calling names to posters who support the CV charter, who oppose the YVHS field lighting project, and want to tear down the Eberhart silos. My guess is that we will see the three blind mice of Eberhart, Strange and Whitmarsh push to capture the three Board seats up for election next year. To do that they will start to undermine EVERYTHING Dr. Nellie does to improve education in MDUSD — typical of the bullying style of leadership we saw exhibited before by this trio. My guess is that Linda Mayo is becoming increasingly distressed as she learns how badly she was misled by the lawyers for the “machine” and in which she swallowed “hook, line and sinker.” I believe that Linda will be fully supportive of Dr. Nellie but have to swallow some of her pride in voting contrary to her previous votes.

I also spoke to Meyer about healing wounds on the board.
When we were discussing past lack of transparency in the district, I mentioned the Measure C bond measure.
“That’s a pretty big example!” she said, very surprised.

@TH#70 I wonder if Tim Cody left out the part where the Interim Gen Counsel had tachycardia when she read the letter from the neighbor’s attorney and then read the April decision of Taxpayers v. San Diego USD which the Calif Supreme Court approved of last month. One thing this Hansen led Board is learning — you can’t trust the “advisors” hired by the last regime. Anymore on Hansen’s comment at the Board meeting on recovering attorney fees paid out previously ?

Any word from Julie B-M on Post#46 ? I imagine there have been a lot of Spec Ed cases that fell through the cracks over the summer with her absence being “hidden”. New job posting today for Administrator — Special Education. Appears to be Carolyn Patton’s job with the posted job description approved in 2011 and probably posted today since Theresa “outed” the vacancy in her blog. Woodside Elem and Sequoia MS principalships still unfilled a month after being vacant. Here is the job description for Carolyn Patton’s job — if the link doesn’t work, go to the district home page, employment, and then limit the search to “certificated–management”. http://www.edjoin.org/JobDescriptions/92/2012%200216%20admin%20sped%20job%20description-20120216140917.pdf

It took 2 1/2 months to get Carolyn Patton’s job posted ? That is really obscene. Was Dr. Mills trying to fill it without posting ? Or is this just another “personnel department” SNAFU ? By the way, SNAFU is a military coined term that Admiral Bill would understand. Did Dr. Nellie mention if she might have Admiral Bill “consult” for MDUSD ? Here is the printable version of SNAFU: SITUATION NORMAL, ALL ‘fouled’ UP.

@SB#82 Yes, both districts have interims — but the motive for having interims is vastly different. The new SDUSD Supt is cleaning house and only wants the best principals. Just like the Carolyn Patton vacancy is there for nearly 3 months before it is advertised. The Sequoia MS vacancy is not posted until weeks after MDUSD knows the principal is leaving. Same with the involuntary transfer of the Woodside principal. I am just saying that the MDUSD interim’s ought to expect to work until their money expires — both are capable and qualified. I wonder how they will do in leading the data analysis of their schools at the end of Sept ? Have they been trained in that ? I don’t think so as I don’t recall them attending any of the district training sessions last year.

Dr J #84, my comment about interims (as a result of principal vacancies) was in response to your hoping Dr. Meyer enlists the advice of recently retired SDUSD Superintendent “Admiral Bill,” as you call him in her leadership of MDUSD. My point: MDUSD is not the only district to have administrative vacancies filled by interims; SDUSD has them, and Dr. Meyer has experience in dealing with them.

Your comment in #84 that the new SDUSD Superintendent “is cleaning house and only wants the best principals” makes me wonder why you think Dr. Meyer should consult “Admiral Bill” about “restructuring the MDUSD organization” when the team he oversaw is so quickly being changed.

Based on what I’ve read and heard, Dr. Meyer has enough experience in all aspects of public school district administration to assess MDUSD’s organization and make her own recommendations. How ’bout you take a break from your constant carping and give her time to talk to people throughout the MDUSD community as she conducts that assessment?

@SH#85 I guess you missed Theresa’s posts of her interview with Dr. Nellie — and some of the big surprises she is seeing. Frankly, I don’t know and you don’t know, what Dr. Nellie’s experience in filling school principalships with interim leaders in the vast sum that SDUSD’s new Supt has created all in one summer — 39 + ?? And you are wrong — the organizational structure created by Admiral Bill has not vastly changed — maybe some titles, but it is essentially intact. Please show me one time I have “carped” against Dr. Nellie ? An interesting term for you to use, when you used to multiple post not only under your own name, but at the same time with psuedonames of “Long-time Board Watcher” and “Nellie Blye” in order to support your own discussion points until one Saturday evening you accidentally outed yourself !

At the secondary level, Meyer told me she is very interested in learning more about how Student Services Coordinators fulfill the roles usually provided by academic counselors. In her PhD research, she found that tracking students’ progress closely, catching them quickly when they begin to fall behind, providing strong interventions and developing caring relationships was key to preventing dropouts.

When Cindy Dean speaks, the Board listens. She spoke at 8pm and by 8am the issue since June that her former boss Rose Lock had ignored , Jeff McDaniel had ignored, and even her principal couldn’t get an answer to, was quickly solved. Shame on the administrators ! Dr. Bernard listened and took notes furiously [Rose Lock and Jeff McDaniel took the 5th and remained silent] I would bet that Dr. Bernard chewed some rear ends after the meeting ! Did you see the disgust on his face as Cindy lambasted the MDUSD administration ? From the MDEA website: “”I was pleased and surprised by the quick response I received once I spoke to the Board.” Cindy Dean, a second grade teacher at Delta View Elementary commented on the results she has received to the plea that she made at the School Board meeting last Wednesday (August 28). It all started back in June as she was packing up her classroom. She put some materials in a big plastic tub.
When she returned the next day, the tub was empty and the materials were
nowhere to be found. She spoke with several administrators and emailed several others, but no one would help her get the materials (valued at $500) replaced. In a final attempt to get help, she explained her concerns to the school board during the public comment portion of the meeting. Before school began the next morning, the materials had been reordered and would be paid for from a maintenance account designated for such situations (Cindy had purchased some the materials with her own money and some with money from a grant she had written). She also received several apologies from administrators for the difficulties she had encountered.”

@TH#92 I guess Dr. Nellie will be surprised to learn that her “Personnel Dept” [the archaic version of “Human Rsources”] isn’t even in charge of mandatory reporting training ! Wait until she learns that classified employees weren’t even being trained !! Love the quote from Dr. Nellie: “Every single employee needs to know that they are required to report, if they have a suspicion. I’m going to be working with our Human Resources department to see what we currently have in place and to see if there are any gaps we need to fill.” Dr. Nellie, meet Student Services in the Special Ed dept — they seem to be in charge of mandatory reporting training of certificated employees — I am still not sure who is in charge of training of certificated employees.

Dr. Nellie is right on: “I really strongly support principal coaching and believe the principal is the key with respect to school improvement.” Rose Lock cut out of SASS the “principal coaching” model after the first year — hence the disasters that have rocked the district: think Sun Terrace, Oak Grove, Woodside, etc. Take a look at SDUSD’s “principal coaching” and that’s what we can expect, not the paper pushing SASS we have.

Theresa, I worry that you are getting stonewalled on your several requests since we haven’t seen any answers: 1. Any reply to posts #75-77 ? 2. Did you get a copy of the neighbor’s attorney letter given to the Board on Aug 28 ? If so, can you post it ? 3. Any word from the principals meeting ? 4. What happened at the CAC meeting on Sept 3 ?

Dr. J: Please understand that my job mainly involves writing stories for the broad reader audience of the Contra Costa Times and Bay Area News Group. While I monitor this blog, I cannot often drop everything to get answers to every question to pops up here. As time allows, I try to get answers if I believe the questions are of interest to the broader audience of blog readers. However, I don’t always have time to immediately provide the answers, if I am working on important stories.

Here’s what Julie Braun-Martin wrote to me in a Sept. 4 e-mail about Patton:

“Carolyn accepted a position in another district over the summer and resigned from Mt. Diablo. The listing of her resignation will be on the September 2013 board meeting.”

No, Meyer did not mention anything about the possibility of hiring “Admiral Bill” to consult for the district.

Yes, I did get a copy of the letter submitted by the neighbors and will post it on Google Drive.

Sorry Theresa, I know you have your hands full — and we do appreciate your investigative efforts — I thought maybe you were just getting ignored again. Very interesting that although Carolyn Patton was appointed to the Benicia job in early June [the timing suggests she must have applied in May and been selected soon thereafter], Julie B-M originally told you the Board had been advised over the summer, and now it looks like it wasn’t since it will be on today’s posted agenda for Wed Sept 11. Also significant is that Patton’s job was not posted until Sept 3 — nearly 3 months after Patton accepted the Benicia position. And now another post retirement annuitant gets some more vacation money. Why wasn’t Julie B-M on top of this in May or June so a qualified applicant could have been found before the start of the new year ? BTW, since you have your plate overflowing, I won’t open the can of worms on student transfers that are being handled exclusively out of Rose Lock’s “student transfer shell game” — when parents get notified from Rose’s office that there is no room at the inn for their children, the parents actually have the gall to call the school and are told there “is room” — and then call back to Rose’s office as to why they are denied admission. The continued “shell games” from Rose’s office — certainly don’t exude trust when the parents figure it out ! You have to wonder why an Assistant Supt has to “micromanage” the whole overflow process ????

I heard Mary Ann Tucker was brought back to fill in ms. Paton’s position until filled.
My question is why wasn’t ms patons resignation on the earlier agenda since she has been gone since June? Did they wait on purpose because they didn’t want special Ed parents to know? Remember it was Carolyn Patton that moved locations of special Ed classes to better cluster and screwed up the bussing that led schools this year to adjust school start and stop times to allow special Ed students to be bussed. Geez that was a mouthful